Pregnancy Exercises Month by Month
Month 1: If you regularly exercise continue to exercise as you would do normally, At this stage it’s important to eat well to nourish your body and support the developing baby. Pregnancy symptoms may not be obvious yet, with the first sign being a missed period.
Month 2: following a positive pregnancy test, major changes will now be occurring. Symptoms include breast tenderness, increased tiredness morning sickness and mood swings.
Continue your exercise routine as normal, at this stage no exercise changes need to be made. It’s important however to listen to your body and rest when needed, drink and eat well. You may find the 45 minute exercise class you normally attend a little more tiring and not as easy.
If you currently do not exercise begin to think about starting a regular fitness routine, daily walks, swimming or gentle aerobics. Start slowly with 10 minutes of warming up, 5 minutes at a faster pace and 5 minutes to cool down, gradually increase the faster pace by 5 minutes each week until you get to 30 minutes. Aim then to continue to exercise for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. It must be advised however that this is not the time to take up a strenuous sport. Evidence supports that women who exercise during pregnancy feel more energised and symptoms are reduced. There is no evidence that continuing your normal exercise routine will cause a miscarriage.
Month 3: You may now have started to gain a little weight as your body grows to accommodate your baby. This is normal but eating for two is not recommended! Nausea is very common but getting regular fresh air will often make you feel better. Try daily brisk walking. If you run, ensure you eat a snack which won’t upset your digestion. The hormone Progesterone is often the culprit behind digestive discomfort, so plan your workouts accordingly and remain hydrated.
As your bump is starting to show, abdominal curl ups and sit ups are not recommended, too much pressure is placed on the abdominal muscles and continuing to perform sit ups will have the negative effect of strengthening the muscles apart! Instead concentrate on postural exercises to support your growing bump. Try a pregnancy Pilates class which will help you exercise and focus on the deep postural muscles of the spine and abdominals. Start to add pelvic floor exercise into your daily routine.
Month 4: During this month your heart is having to work harder to meet your body’s regular demands due to the natural increase in blood volume. You may find you are more breathless because as your uterus grows out of your pelvis it becomes an abdominal organ decreasing lung capacity. You may tired more easily and at times feel faint. Begin to listen to your body and slow down when you need to. Remain active and still aiming to work out at least 3 -5 times a week. If you have not done so already, this may be the time to swap your normal gym and classes to one which is specifically designed for pregnancy. Exercises to avoid include:- all contact sport, skiing, high altitude exercise and exercises in which you lie on your back for prolonged periods of time.
Month 5: Extra care must be taken to avoid straining the muscles of the pelvis. Relaxin is a hormone which affects the ligaments throughout the body. Avoid exercises with a wide range of movement or prolonged stretching. From now on keep movements smaller and keep limps close to the body. Avoid twisting and turning suddenly so classes such as regular Zumba or step classes will not be suitable.
Breaststroke swimming (opening the legs wide) also causes pelvic strain, Find alternatives, Zumba gold, low impact aerobics, walking or aquanatal. If you are a runner take smaller strides and take extra care when running during winter months, pavements and grass are slippery.
Month 6: Continue to eat well and exercise regularly, hopefully by now you will have more energy and your nausea has disappeared. You may wish to avoid cycling or exercises where you balance for long periods of time. During this month the baby is growing rapidly and changes to your posture become more obvious. Your centre of gravity moves forward and your balance is altered making you a little more unstable. Concentrate on exercises for you changing shape. Pelvic tilts, all fours cat stretch for your back, seated or standing exercise band row for upper back and shoulders.
Month 7: Often women begin to experience cramp in their calves, particularly at night. Before you get into bed try a few calf stretches to reduce this happening. Being less active or having a job where you sit down a lot can increase the risk of develop swollen legs (oedema) due to lack of movement. Try getting up regularly say every 20 minutes or so to perform ankle exercises, pedalling the feet up and down, heel raises marching on the spot and ankle exercises. This will increase circulation and help reduce the swelling.
N.B if you have swelling of the ankles, legs, hands and face…please do contact your care provider, midwife, GP or consultant. As in a small number of cases swelling can be association with high blood pressure and a condition called Pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Month 8: During this month, you will feel your uterus under your ribs, this can be very uncomfortable review your posture, sit straight, not slumped, and massaging the area can help. It is common to feel Braxton hicks regularly. They are no cause for concern it is simply your uterus (which is a muscle) exercising getting itself stronger. During an exercise class or activity you may need to wait until it passes. Keep your feet moving if you stop, to prevent feeling dizzy. Support belts or bands may prove to be useful when exercising. Chat to a physiotherapist for their recommendations. Pelvic floor exercises become even more important now and are a must to help prevent incontinence problems after the birth. A strong pelvic floor muscle will help guide and rotate your baby through the birth canal.
Month 9: During this stage your baby will have started to drop down into your pelvis this is called lightening. This may give some relief for your ribs and you will find you can breathe a little easier, but the extra pelvic pressure will cause you to start going to the loo more often or you may have a feeling of heaviness. Getting up and down to the loo more during the night will invariably increase your chances discomfort. Experiment with different positions and perform pelvic tilts to ease backache. If you have finished work – daily walking is fantastic to maintain cardio-vascular fitness. Not only will you build the important stamina needed for labour you will keep your legs, bottom and core strong particularly if you walk up hills! The other benefit is helping your baby to wiggle down into the pelvis. Many women continue to exercise up to their due date. This is perfectly safe but don’t wear yourself out as you will need that energy for labour.